After two years of declines, hardware sales are up

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Hardware store sales increased slightly in 2010, according to government data released Tuesday.

The Census Bureau's Monthly & Annual Trade Report showed December sales for hardware stores -- NAICS code 44413 -- reached $1.684 billion in December, the most recent month of available data in this business classification. That unadjusted figure is up 4.5% from the unadjusted figure from December 2009.

For the full year, hardware stores sales were $18.756 billion, up 0.7% from 2009.

It was the first increase in NAICS code 44413 sales since 2007 showed an increase over 2006.